''Togo Brava Suite'' is an album by the American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington. It was recorded in England and released by

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1959, ...

in 1971.A Duke Ellington Panorama
accessed May 7, 2010 The album won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band in 1972.Grammy Awards Database
/ref> The album was later reissued on CD by

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

in 1994, and studio recordings of the complete "Togo Brava Suite" were released in 2001 by Storyville.

Reception

The

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

review by Scott Yanow stated: "By the time of these concerts from England, the Duke Ellington Orchestra had suffered quite a few losses of veteran personnel... However, the band was still a major force, and this set has plenty of highpoints".Yanow, S.

AllMusic Review AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

accessed May 7, 2010

Track listing

All compositions by Duke Ellington except where noted. # "

C Jam Blues "C Jam Blues" is a jazz standard composed in 1942 by Duke Ellington and performed by countless other musicians, such as Dave Grusin, Django Reinhardt, Oscar Peterson, and Charles Mingus. Background As the title suggests, the piece follows a twe ...

" ( Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington) – 4:42 # "Toga Brava Suite: Soul Soothing Beach/Naturellement" – 11:56 # "Right on Togo" – 4:58 # "Happy Reunion" – 4:41 # "Addi" – 4:04 # "Lotus Blossom" ( Billy Strayhorn) – 2:30 # "

Cotton Tail "Cotton Tail" is a 1940 composition by Duke Ellington. It is based on the rhythm changes from George Gershwin's " I Got Rhythm". The first Ellington recording (4 May 1940) is notable for the driving tenor saxophone solo by Ben Webster. Originally ...

" – 4:18 # "Checkered Hat" (Judy Spencer,

Norris Turney Norris Turney (September 8, 1921, Wilmington, Ohio, United States – January 17, 2001, Kettering, Ohio) was an American jazz flautist and saxophonist. Biography Turney began his career in the Midwest, playing in territory bands such as the Jet ...

) – 4:37 # "La Plus Belle Africaine" – 8:39 # "

In a Mellow Tone "In a Mellow Tone", also known as "In a Mellotone", is a 1939 jazz standard composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Milt Gabler. The song was based on the 1917 standard " Rose Room" by Art Hickman and Harry Williams, which Ellington him ...

" (Ellington,

Milt Gabler Milton Gabler (May 20, 1911 – July 20, 2001) was an American record producer, responsible for many innovations in the recording industry of the 20th century. These included being the first person to deal in record reissues, the first to sel ...

) – 4:02 # "

I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) "I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)" is a pop and jazz standard with music by Duke Ellington and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster published in 1941. It was introduced in the musical revue ''Jump for Joy'' by Ivie Anderson, who also provided the v ...

" (Ellington, Paul Francis Webster) – 5:29 # "Melancholia" – 3:41 # "Soul Flute" – 3:19 * Recorded at the Birmingham Theatre in Birmingham, England on October 24, 1971 except for tracks 1 & 7 which were recorded at Colston Hall in Bristol, England on October 22, 1971.

Personnel

* Duke Ellington – piano *

Johnny Coles John Coles (July 3, 1926 – December 21, 1997) was an American jazz trumpeter. Early life Coles was born in Trenton, New Jersey on July 3, 1926. He grew up in Philadelphia and was self-taught on trumpet. Later life and career Coles spent his ...

Mercer Ellington Mercer Kennedy Ellington (March 11, 1919 – February 8, 1996) was an American musician, composer, and arranger. His father was Duke Ellington, whose band Mercer led for 20 years after his father's death. Biography Early life and education Ellin ...

Money Johnson Harold "Money" Johnson (February 23, 1918 – March 28, 1978) was an American jazz trumpeter. Early life Johnson was born in Tyler, Texas, on February 23, 1918. He first played trumpet at age 15. Primarily a trumpeter, he also recorded with the tr ...

, Cootie Williams – trumpet * Malcolm Taylor,

Booty Wood Mitchell W. Wood, better known as Booty Wood (December 27, 1919 – June 10, 1987) was an American jazz trombonist. Career Wood played professionally on trombone from the late 1930s. He worked with Tiny Bradshaw and Lionel Hampton in the 1940s ...

– trombone * Chuck Connors – bass trombone *

Jimmy Hamilton Jimmy Hamilton (May 25, 1917 – September 20, 1994) was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, who was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Biography Hamilton was born in Dillon, South Carolina, United States, and grew up in ...

, Harold Ashby – tenor saxophone, clarinet *

– alto saxophone *

Harold Minerve Harold "Geezil" Minerve (January 3, 1922 - June 4, 1992) was a Cuban-born jazz alto saxophonist and flautist. Minerve was raised in Florida and began playing music at age 12. He played with Ida Cox early in his career, then worked as a freelance mu ...

Russell Procope Russell Keith Procope (August 11, 1908 – January 21, 1981) was an American clarinetist and alto saxophonist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra. Before Ellington Procope was born in New York City, United States, and grew up in ...

– alto saxophone, clarinet * Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone * Harry Carney – baritone saxophone *

Wild Bill Davis Wild Bill Davis (November 24, 1918 – August 17, 1995) was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis. He is best known for his pioneering jazz electric organ recordings and for his tenure with t ...

– organ * Joe Benjamin – double bass * Rufus "Speedy" Jones – drums

References

{{Duke Ellington 1971 live albums United Artists Records live albums Duke Ellington live albums Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album